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[Page 97]
1915
been pumped out. The Dockyard was a scene of bustle. Here one felt nearer the centre of the war. We felt the cold intensely with the thermometer standing at 33o F. Naturally, the cold was intensified by the fact that all our doors were unshipped, that we had no carpets down, or pictures hung, so that everything seemed cold & cheerless. Four days leave was granted to everybody, while the defects were being made good by the Dockyard, & we were all eager to see what the old country looked like under conditions of war. Certainly, Khaki uniforms were the rule rather than the exception, but "Business as usual" was the popular cry, & this was carried out to the letter, so that things appeared quite normal in general. While the ship was in dockyard hands, she was supplied with 3 anti-aircraft guns, & ejectors for dealing with large volumes of water in boiler rooms, & other vital compartments.
Feb. 12
After a stay of 15 days, we left Devonport. Three enemy submarines had been seen off Plymouth the previous day, so it was decided to proceed down channel at high speed. Each man on board was served out with a life-saving collar, which consisted of an elongated rubber bladder covered with woollen material. It was worn round the neck, & could be inflated by means of a pipe, which